Why Should Jewellers Care About The “Digital” ? KOULIDOU, Konstantia Available from Sheffield Hallam University Research Archive (SHURA) at: http://shura.shu.ac.uk/27954/
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Sheffield Hallam University Research Archive http://shura.shu.ac.uk WHY SHOULD JEWELLLERS CARE ABOUT THE DIGITAL?
AUTHOR
Nantia Koulidou
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ABSTRACT
The widespread development of technological components knowledge on the history and role of jewellery in peoples’ that could be miniaturised and worn on the body has opened lives. The functions of jewellery pieces are often rooted new possibilities for jewellers to explore the intersection in rituals and ceremonial activities, in personal values and of jewellery practices and the capabilities of digital adornment, the supernatural power of jewellery to connect technologies. Increasingly jewellery can play a role in valuing people with others in different spaces and time and the close the body, understanding, amplifying and highlighting the relationship between jewellery and body (Besten, 2011; body. However, this area remains under-explored within the Cheung, 2006; Dormer, 1994). These aspects have often contemporary jewellery practice. been neglected by big corporates. Either for sports, medical This paper provides a critical review of digital purposes or high-tech special effects in the catwalk, the jewellery practice from a jeweller’s perspective and offers body is often understood as data that can be tracked and the grounding for a framework for understanding digital manipulated and jewellery as a convenient place to host jewellery that reveals its potential within people’s lives. electronics. The research seeks to explore the more poetic qualities of Busch (2015) highlights that “it is hard to argue interaction with digital technologies that can enrich intimacy against the efficiency of all this self- improvement, but it is with other people, places and ultimately the self. equally hard not to wonder at what point self - awareness For clarity, digital jewellery refers to jewellery objects evolves into narcissism”. How much do we want to monitor which contain electronic components. Similar terms are ourselves? How much information is too much?” Jewellers in use by practitioners across disciplines, such as smart jewellery, computational jewellery, tech jewellery and the interpretation of the terms may vary from one discipline to Jewellers can contribute more to the the other. I have chosen the term digital jewellery, not as a limitation, but as a starting point of the discussion around the conversation of what it means for potential role of digital worn objects in our lives. humans to be wearing wearable devices. INTRODUCTION aising their concerns, issues of privacy The potential of synthesising digital technologies into jewellery practices has been presented widely by big and intimacy. corporates and to a lesser extent by jewellers. Additionally, research that focuses on the personal meaningful digital objects is limited and not often not within the jewellery can contribute more to the conversation of what it means for practice. More specific, jewellers seem to lack an humans to be wearing these devices raising their concerns, understanding of the potential of digital as a material in issues of privacy and intimacy. Such concerns are more their existing practices and technologists seem to lack the fundamental to the practice of making jewellery rather
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than the practice of fashion or product design (Busch, acceptance when it was introduced as aesthetic, appealing 2015). Gaspar (2013) highlights that jewellers have a deep jewellery objects and then as functional devices (Miner et understanding of how personal objects “vehiculate” and al., 2001). The term “digital jewellery” was first introduced materialise identity and [jewellers have the expertise] in as wearable technology for every day, when traditional creating and transmitting value, an aware of the political, forms of adornment are involved with wearable and digital societal and cultural implications of their designs. Therefore, technologies (ibid). if we are to assert the relevance of our discipline within our One of the early examples of digital jewellery is current culture and the future of our field, we need to engage the IBM set, a digital jewellery prototype of a cell phone with the challenges of these questions: that consists of several jewellery pieces that work together wirelessly. Speakers embedded into these earrings will be the How can the digital help us understand the self? phone’s receiver, a necklace with an embedded microphone, What is the value of a new way of imaging the body a “magic decoder ring” equipped with LED to indicate an through the digital? Can we as jewellers add value to incoming call and a bracelet equipped with a video graphics this process? array (VGA) display which could be used as a caller identifier that flashed the name and the phone number of the Digital jewellery as part of Wearable caller. The main intention of IBM’s Almaden designLab was Technology to make technology part of our daily life with the help of Today an increasing number of devices are considered jewellery pieces connected with wireless networking system. intimately linked to the body. Many such devices are used to track body fitness, manage phone calls and messages or “Worn throughout the day, digital jewellery could notifications from social-media. As communication devices, connect the user anytime, anywhere to information, they have some of the functionalities of a mobile phone; business, and communication services. Within its receive calls, send reminders and notifications. As objects known placement on the body, jewellery forms can be worn on the human body, they are small in size and typically used as an intuitive interface” Cameron Miner, 2001 have limited functionality, with minimal interfaces - compact displays and lower computing power. A characteristic of In the more recent Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) these devices is that they are connected to faster computing literature, Jain (2015) defines digital jewellery as “ fashion devices. They are often supported by an application that can jewellery that allow you to communicate by ways of e-mail, be accessed via an Android or iOS phone, while the device voicemail, and voice communication or “wearable ID works in the background. devices that contain personal information like passwords, In the digital age jewellery gained interest as identification, and account information” . Activity monitors objects already worn on the body. The digital information for fitness purposes provide the wearers with detailed conveyed in rings, bracelets, necklaces, and wristbands is a information on their everyday practices; count steps, measure generation of devices worn on the body, widely known as heartbeat and record biosensory data in real time. Since the wearable technology (Ryan, 2014). Even though wearable first digital jewellery to embed functions of digital devices technology has been around for decades, it had gained in existing worn objects, jewellery continues to gain interest
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with more recent examples presented as luxurious smart accessories. Companies such as Nike, Fitbit or Jawbone collaborated with jewellery designers, for example, Figure 1. (left) Flex Tory Bunch for Fitbit and Yves Behar for Jawbone UP3 2 Fitbit accessories (to encase Fitbit Flex Wristbands to produce luxurious cases for the fitness trackers tracker) (right) A picture of an iOS phone with the (see Figure 1). Fitbit application. The functions of the human body, within the wearable
Silver, gold, electronic technology era, are observed analytically with a view of components. curing, correcting and enhancing performance. Arguably,
Source: Press Kit. Image wearable technology often relies on technological solutions courtesy of Fitbit that focus on functionality and efficiency. It often takes a diagnostic approach such as sensing and displaying the wearers’ emotions and assumes a view of the body as data (Ryan, 2014) as something that can be controlled (Höök, 2013). I agree with Wallace (2007) that most of the existing examples of wearable technology offer a limited interpretation of what digital jewellery could be, limiting the integration of digital technologies and jewellery to the Figure 2. The Smart aesthetics of the archetypes of jewellery and its use as a case Heart cardiac monitor necklace by Leah Heiss, for digital components. 2016 in collaboration with St. Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, Digital jewellery as part of wearable RMIT University, and health devices the Nossal Institute for Global Health; There is a long history of medical devices being worn on the body, but were scarcely considered as pieces of 3d printed parts, conductive threads, jewellery rather the opposite; as devices that stigmatize sensors the wearer and affect their sense of self in a negative way. Source: Leah Heiss © With the miniaturisation of the electronic components and 2016 all rights reserved. Image courtesy of the the advances in digital technology sensors become tiny artist. and affordable and new ways of fabrication has started the conversation on how these devices can be made as beautiful objects. In the recent years some examples of medical devices are presented as pieces of digital jewellery that people would like to wear and cherish. Examples from the research field the Diabetes Necklace (Heiss, 2008), Smart Heart (Heiss et al., 2016) (see Figure 2) or the pre-order product Olive Next-Gen
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graphics and movement making visible bodily states. Vein 2 (Fusakul, 2002) and Skin-Bone (Ugur et al., 2011) (see Figure 3,4) are examples of digital jewellery that detect changes on emotional status of the wearer and respond with movement (Skin-Bone) and light (Vein2). Vein2 changes colour as the wearer’s heartbeat increased and Skin-Bone interprets the wearer’s inner state through the movement of the prototype. When the wearer reaches a stress level, the necklace starts moving up to the neck. By pulling the necklace down the wearer can be aware of her/his emotional state. Both Fusakul and Ugur, have created objects that display emotional changes in the wearer. However, Ugur’s object also displayed emotions in a social and discursive way in order to better understand the limitations of this type of interactive object. But to what extend and in which setting do we want to visualise our emotions?
DIGITAL JEWELLERY AND SENSE OF SELF
Figure 3 Skin-Bone by Sesil Ugur, 2011. (2017) present a range of discreet and beautifully designed Over the last two decades, the discussion around the Soft material, sensors, housings for therapeutics. These examples of wearable significant role of digital worn objects and the experiential electrical motor wireless network health devices start with the intended function. From a qualities of wearable technology has been opened up and new social perspective, such objects have the potential to make perspectives and methods from researchers suggested new Seçil Ugur Yavuz © 2013 all rights reserved. people feel better about themselves and their condition, and ways of integrating digital worn objects in peoples’ lives. Photographer Masha Ru. Image courtesy of the this is really valuable. However, the synthesis of jewellery Artists and designers fascinated with technology explored artist. and digital technologies is often limited to the requirements not just “what it is that we can do with technology, but what imposed by the health condition and often jewellery, in this technology tells us about ourselves” (Ryan, 2014:7). Figure 4 Detail on context, serves as “a nice box” to host the technological This is an era in which jewellers can contribute with how the Skin&Bone prototype works. Code equipment. Moreover, the functionality of a wearable health an understanding of what it means for humans to be wearing patterns for stress device limits the form of the piece and its relationship with these devices (White and Steel, 2007, Busch, 2015). This levels. the body. discussion is about where digital jewellery finds its role and Seçil Ugur Yavuz © 2013 all rights reserved. Digital jewellery: Visualising Emotions The significance. Image courtesy of the expressions of the body are at the core of many research Researchers with a contemporary jewellery artist. projects in the field of fashion. Computationally controlled background, such as Jayne Wallace (2008, 2010, 2017), Leah garments and accessories detect changes of temperatures, Heiss (2016) and Hazel White (2008) and more recently moisture and transmit messages in the form of light, visual Maarten Versteeg (2017) show a great interest to explore how
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“We associate jewellery objects easily to a person, real or imagined. Jewellery is not for something; it is for and of someone” Lin Cheung, 2013
“Jewellery becomes more than objects; They are connectors” Petra Ahde-Deal,
2013 Figure 5. Lens by Hazel the combination of jewellery and technology could engender White 2008, a) The interactions with emotional significance for the wearer. In piece b) Detail on the pendant’s reflection in their explorations “the digital” becomes another material to the mirror. incorporate into their practice and not the ultimate goal. By glass, electronic “Jewellery often functions as a symbol of revisiting the role jewellery could play in peoples’ lives, they components. explored how digital jewellery could expand its social role Source: Hazel White © self, as a signifier of aspects of identity, as to act as a symbol of self and become a mediator to connect 2008 all rights reserved. with others through the integration of digital technologies. Image courtesy of the a conduit to transport us to other times, artist. Digital Jewellery and Personal Memories places and people, and as a receptacle Pieces of digital jewellery can act as enablers to access visual and audio data, helping the wearer to connect with their own for our feelings of that associated other” narratives. In addition, the materials support this connection between the wearer and the piece. Jayne Wallace, 2007 An example of this exploration is the piece Lens (2007) by Hazel White (see Figure 5). The piece is a pendant which looks and feels like a smooth piece of glass that has
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Figure 6. A digital Figure 7. Digital lockets locket, Purple by Purple been washed up by the sea, and serves as a memento of pictures are hidden inside the digital locket. The piece does Remember, Forget, Technologies, LLC 2014. the wearer’s family holiday on the Isle of Skye. When the not have a USB charger; rather it charges when it is placed in Daguerre and Orpheus Concept prototype by Jayne Wallace 2010 viewer holds the piece up to a mirror in his/her house, an the accompanying box and the symbolic shape of the locket The prototype was Purple Technologies, image of skimming stones across the water appears against indicates its sentimental value and its intimate connection. made in collaboration LLC © 2014 all rights with James Thomas and reserved. Image the landscape of Skye (White and Steel, 2007). Lens invites However, the interaction with the piece relies heavily on Derek Anderson. courtesy of Purple Technologies, LLC the wearer for an intriguing and site-specific interaction. It is familiar interaction with mobile phones. In comparison, Silver, electronic intriguing because only a part of the picture is revealed from the digital lockets Remember, Forget, Daguerre and Orpheus components
the pendant’s reflection on the mirror, inviting the wearer to (2010) by Jayne Wallace (see Figure 7) explores “different Jayne Wallace © 2010 all move the pendant and explore the landscape of the Isle of framings of what a digital locket implies by unpicking rights reserved. Image courtesy of the Skye only in glimpses. The interaction is site-specific because assumed qualities of digital technologies and considering artist it can happen in a specific location. alternatives” (Olivier and Wallace, 2009), staying faithful to Another example is the piece Purple Locket (2015) the historical use of the lockets. What if we could take only (see Figure 6) by Purple Technologies, LLC. The piece is one digital picture? And what if that picture slowly fades out? a concept prototype of a digital locket that stores digital The pieces suggest interactions with digital technology that pictures, which takes into consideration the long history of are unique and intriguing, staying faithful to the historical use lockets to commemorate the memory of a beloved one or of the lockets. become a token for affection (Luthi, 2001). Similarly, digital
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Figure 8. For two rings Figure 9. Blossom by by Nicole Gratiot Stöber Digital Jewellery and Intimate However, if makers understand digital technology as Jayne Wallace 2004 1994 Connections in Real Time another material for design with its qualities and limitations Wood, glass, silver, magnets, stainless steel, A small number of jewellers explored ways of using digital such as those limitations associated with wood or silver, then vintage postage stamps, perspex, LEDs with technology to connect individuals over distances or in close they have the freedom to choose the digital functionality they printed images. electronic components proximity in an intimate and personal way. For two rings find relevant to their concept. Jayne Wallace © 2004 all Nicole Gratiot Stöber © rights reserved. 2004 all rights reserved. (1994) (see Figure 8) by Gratiot Stöber (reference in Wallace Blossom (2007) by Jayne Wallace (see Figure 9) is a Image courtesy of the Photographer Christoph and Dearden, 2005) are two rings which can be physically digital jewellery visual prototype that explores new ways of artist Grünig. Image courtesy of Daniel Gratiot activated in response to the physical interaction between communication over distance between a grandmother and her people. Sensors detect when the two pieces are connected grandchild. “The piece is connected to a rain sensor, planted on and light sources illuminate when the shapes are touched. the participant’s family land in Cyprus. Inside the dome the old The gesture of holding hands is amplified by the illumination Cypriot postage stamps are closed like a flower, attached to a of the pieces and the light fades gradually when the contact mechanism, waiting to receive a signal sent from the rain sensor. is broken. This project is an example of digital jewellery Once the rain sensor has registered a predetermined quantity of focused on the experiential qualities of human touch where rain in Cyprus, which may take months or even years, a signal the body responds to the jewellery and the jewellery responds is sent to the jewellery object and the mechanism is activated, to the body. The piece has been criticised for its limited slowly opening the petals like a flower blossoming.” Olivier( & digital functionality (Silina and Haddadi, 2015). Wallace 2009 :212)
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In addition to the emotional connection with a family member, the piece connects the wearer with an intimate place. The piece acted as a memory trigger for a particular Figure 10. Address by Mouna Andraos and Sonali place and connection with another person at a particular time. Sridhar 2007
The piece will be activated only once introducing a unique Electronic components, and anticipated interaction. wood
In comparison with IBM’s set of digital jewellery Mouna Andraos and Sonali prototypes, the piece For two rings and Blossom are examples Sridhar © 2007 all rights reserved. Image courtesy of digital jewellery that suggest interactions with significant of Sonali Sridhar others beyond the verbal and direct forms of communication and question our expectation of the “digital” as that of being instant and repetitive. Address (2007) (see Figure 10) by Mouna Andraos & Sonali Sridhar and Vanity Ring (2007) (see Figure 11) by Markus Kison are pieces of digital jewellery that connects the wearer with geographical and personal data. Vanity Ring does not have a jewel. Instead, it shows the number of “hits” one gets when one searches Google for the name of the person Figure 11. Vanity Ring by who wears it and displays it. The ring is personalised and Markus Kison 2007 updated overnight. In its essence, the piece is provocative and Electronic components, raises issues of identity. What is the value we attribute to our plexiglass. online identity? Markus Kison © 2007 all rights reserved.Image Address is an electronic necklace with an embedded courtesy of the artist GPS which calculates the distance between the wearer’s place and an intimate place, chosen by the wearer. The use of data in the piece Address differs from Vanity Ring as it updates constantly. A little display on the necklace measures the distance in kilometers. The piece is not indicating how to reach a place, as normal GPS technologies would do, rather it communicates a bond with a space. The piece has a poetic quality to connect with a place in an experiential way, suggesting an interaction that is imaginative and intriguing.
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Figure 13. Prototype Figure 12. Inner by Leah Digital Jewellery and Bodily Awareness with examples of wearable technology that detect changes modular jewellery by Heiss 2007 Hazel White & Ewan Pieces of digital jewellery have the ability to make people of temperatures, moisture and transmit messages (see Vein2 Steel 2005. Details from Silver, electronic the screen based visual components. be more aware of their body and what is happening to or Skin-Bone), the piece Inner offers the space for self- them in moments of tension, joy, frustration or stress. awareness in personal and intimate way. element of the work. Leah Heiss © 2007 all Silver chain, animation rights reserved Inner (2007) (see Figure 12) by Leah Heiss is a piece Image courtesy of the of digital jewellery prototype that deals with issues of Digital Jewellery and Digital Sensation Hazel White © 2005 all artist. rights reserved. Image intrapersonal understanding and allows for an awareness The piece Swarms (2008) (see Figure 13) by Hazel White courtesy of the artist. of our non-conscious behaviours. It focuses on foibles, and Light Jewellery (see Figure 14) (2014) by panGenerator oddities, idiosyncrasies and eccentricities that may allude invite people to experience a piece of digital jewellery to emotional state. The brooch at the neck of the jewellery as a sensation by creating a sensorial and imaginative senses a nervous habit, in this case touching the sternum. experience for the wearer through on-screen animations or This information is transmuted into an internal output, light projections. Swarm is made of a silver chain and has softly activating solenoids which tap against the ribcage an extended digital life. As the wearer moves the chain, and an external output; a subtle pulsating optic fibre along the computer code reacts to the movement of the chain by the stomach. The focus is on one’s idiosyncrasies and the the wearer and creates animations of swarms to fly away. embodied reaction to it (here touching the stern) and not Although participants of the user study could not relate to on patterns generated from biometric data. In comparison the necklace they were wearing, they documented that the
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wearer and examples that open ways of discussing issues of personal values and identity. I also referred to examples that suggested alternative ways of connecting with one’s bodily state and idiosyncrasies and I introduced the term digital sensation to refer to examples that create sensorial and imaginative experiences for the wearer. This review of existing examples of digital jewellery provides the grounding for a framework for understanding digital jewellery. Figure 15 illustrates the layers of the framework for digital jewellery. The outside layer represents an easily identifiable part of the piece, its materiality and its form. This layer highlights the maker’s sensitivity in working with materials and it raises the question of the narrative in the form of the digital jewellery piece. The second layer represents the poetic qualities of the interaction with digital jewellery. This refers primarily to the function of the piece and the wearers interaction with the object. The third layer represents the personal and intimate engagement which differentiates digital jewellery from other wearable technologies. This supports Figure 14. NECLUMI - a probable future of extended life of the piece on the screen as a playful and meaningful connections between the wearer and the object jewellery? By Collective intriguing interaction (White and Steel, 2007). Similar to that can ground and support one’s sense of self. I will now panGenerator 2014 left: Light projections Light Projections (1994) by Susan Heron, Light Jewellery describe each of these layers in more detail. right: Control the triggers sensational experiences for the wearer. More projections via the phone application specifically, the light is produced by a projection controlled 1.Materials and forms. The narrative of (Still from the panGenerator’s by a phone application and four dynamic options respond to the piece Video https://vimeo. different inputs measured by the phone’s built-in features and It is widely acknowledged that jewellery pieces com/110207736 ) gyroscope projection-based jewellery pieces. tell stories (Ahde 2013, 2017; Rana, 2014; Potter, 2007). Light, mobile phone, These pieces expand our understanding of what digital Among the social, cultural and political stories, jewellery gyroscope jewellery can be through “digital sensations” by suggesting pieces often carry a personal story and a connection with the PanGenerator © 2014 all interactions that highlight the sensorial and the imaginative wearer. Contemporary art jewellery makes people position rights reserved. Video courtesy of the artist. aspects of digital jewellery. themselves in a personal, societal and cultural context (Besten, 2011; Urger, 2013). Significantly, this jewellery A FRAMEWORK FOR DIGITAL JEWELLERY leaves space for the wearers to reflect on who they are, what they stand for or what they want to be (Broadhead, 2005; Previously, I presented examples of digital jewellery that Veiteberg, 2013). From this perspective, the variation of focus on the personal and emotional significance for the materials and new techniques are tools for jewellers to create
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suggest a rich interaction between the piece and a person, but they seem to lack an important characteristic of digital jewellery; they lack a narrative element connected to their form and materiality. I have presented that wearable technology often relies on technological solutions that focus on functionality and efficiency, offering a limited interpretation of what digital jewellery could be (Wallace 2007, Versteeg, 2017). This limitation extends to the narrative associated with the pieces. In his critique of digital jewellery, Versteeg (2017) argues for poetic interactions between the analogue and digital layer of digital jewellery. I add to this that, in digital jewellery, there is an inseparable connection between the function of the piece and its form and materials. The synthesis of form, material (traditional and digital) and interaction is what differentiates pieces of digital jewellery from other wearable technology.
2. Poetic Qualities of Interaction with
Figure 15. Framework Digital Jewellery for Intimate and of understanding pieces that stimulate and provoke emotional responses. The Personal Engagement and designing digital jewellery. narratives that accompany the piece add value to it. They are Digital jewellery challenges our expectations of digital often embedded in the form and can trigger memories that are connectivity and allows our new expectations and Nantia Koulidou@2017 all rights reserved. significant for the wearer and/or the maker. experiences to be realised. Building on Wallace and Olivier’s The narratives relating to the materials in digital (2011) premise of open and varied design interpretations of jewellery are also an important issue. Reflecting on existing the digital, I will summarise the qualities of the “digital” in methodologies of designing pieces of digital jewellery, digital jewellery by focusing on atypical personal interactions materials and forms that are important for the wearer can with technology. I refer to these qualities as poetic qualities inform the design. For example, Wallace gets her inspiration of interaction. They refer primarily to the function of the from particular individuals and fragments of the lives and piece and the wearers interaction with the object. experiences of the people she works with. With sensitivity to the materials (traditional and digital), she designed objects that have a close relationship to the wearer’s life Digital jewellery challenges our and memories. Similarly, White makes pieces that connect the wearer with their own narratives. For example, the form expectations of digital connectivity and of Lens supports the connection between the wearer and an intimate place. Examples such as Address or Vanity Ring allows our new expectations to be realised.
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EXPECTATIONS OF THE DIGITAL WITHIN DIGITAL JEWELLERY PRACTICE
DEFINATE UBIQUITOUS INFINITE DIRECT QUALITIES OF THE DIGITAL THE FOCUS IS ON THE FUNCTIONALITY PREDICTABLE AND EFFICIENCY OF THE PIECE IMMEDIATE (see more on Wallace and Olivier, 2011)
PLAYFULL INTRIGUING SURPRISING POETIC QUALITIES OF IMAGINATIVE INTERACTION WITH THE DIGITAL THE FOCUS IS ON THE PERSONAL SITE -SPECIFIC AND INTIMATE ENGAGEMENT SENSATIONAL
UNIQUE ENGAGING
ANTICIPATING SENSORIAL
Figure 16. Poetic Unique: a quality that suggests that a part of the qualities of interaction with the digital as a process occurs only once, the process is not reversible In Lens, the picture is revealed through the interaction only in material within digital or repeatable. This quality can add personal value to the glimpses and in Swarms, the on-screen interaction is different jewellery practice. interaction with a piece, as described in Blossom and Lockets. each time. Nantia Koulidou@2017 Anticipation: Sensorial: all rights reserved. a quality that questions the pace of a quality that relates to the senses or the an interaction with the digital. The wearer anticipates the power of the digital sensation. Two Rings, Light Jewellery, interaction and thus can reflect on the significance of the Swarms and Inner offer ways of connecting with one’s body, piece, as described in Blossom. focusing on the experiential qualities of the interaction Site-specific: a quality that addresses the location in between the piece and the body. which the interaction occurs. By having a unique location to Imaginative: a quality that leave the space for open connect with the piece and its content, a wearer can connect interpretation or creative response to the digital, as described with a place or/and the piece in an intimate way, as described in the pieces Address and Swarms. in the piece Lens. Provocative: a quality that raises social, cultural or Intriguing: a quality that arouses the curiosity of the political issues in our digital culture, such as identity as wearer to explore the interaction with the piece in short turns. described in the piece Vanity Ring.
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Digital jewellery creates emotional triggers by happened to them (Wright at el. 2008, Wright and McCarthy, enabling interactions with a piece based on seven qualities. 2010). When the body is explored as data limits the design Some of these qualities have been presented in HCI possibilities of digital jewellery. Emotions, feelings, fears, (Olivier and Wallace, 2009), but not within the jewellery dreams or desires cannot be measured in numbers; rather field. These qualities are important because they can open they must be shared through a dialogue between the designer new possibilities for designing for personal and intimate and the wearer. The emphasis should be placed on the lived engagement, acting as propositions for research on how experience (ibid), where the body is explored from a range digital experiences can present more poetic interactions and of perspectives. Rather than figures and graphs, resulting for not definite answers. example from a Fitbit, the body should be explored from an experiential perspective, as well as its physical dimensions, 3. Personal Anchor Points such as body temperature and heart rate. Digital jewellery is objects concerned with one’s sense of self and emotional significance and is situated principally CONCLUSION in the field of contemporary art jewellery (Dormer, 1994; Besten, 2011). It is objects that take advantage of existing Most of the digital devices that we live with come with a set advances in wearable and digital technology, but stays of expectations such as: What does it do? How long does the faithful to the values behind the piece and the social role battery last? How cutting edge is the technology? By contrast, of jewellery in peoples’ lives. Its main function is to offer this paper explores how we can open up our expectations of the space for personal significance and the link to one’s the digital by focusing on atypical personal interactions with anchor points is fundamental. With anchor points, I refer technology. to a person’s meaningful connections that can ground and In this paper, I explored the context and implications support one’s sense of self. In this space, digital technology of digital jewellery within contemporary art jewellery is a material that offers the possibility to explore new ways of practice through selected pieces of jewellery, considering the connectedness with the self, significant others and intimate object’s materiality and the poetic qualities of the interaction places. revealing a rich conceptual design space. I presented Within digital jewellery practice, the relationship examples that open alternative ways of connecting with one’s between the piece and the body is important. Similar to personal memories, significant others and intimate places and jewellery, digital jewellery gains intimacy as objects relate creating the space for bodily awareness. This critical review to our personal narratives and as objects are placed within of digital jewellery defines a need for a better understanding the personal space of the wearer. When designing digital of the digital experiences with contemporary art jewellery. jewellery for rich and meaningful experiences, makers need To this end, a framework for understanding digital jewellery to understand what is important for the people they are is presented that aims to open up the discussion around how designing for, not just monitoring and tracking the wearer’s craft practices and digital technologies can create poetic and body. The makers should acknowledge the tight relationship emotionally rich interactions. between what people do and how they feel about, give value to, and to give meaning to what they do and what
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nantia Koulidou Northumbria Univerisity Journal of Jewellery Research School of Design http://www [email protected] journalofjewelleryresearch.org
www.nantiakoulidou.com ISSN 2516-337X
Loughborough University, Nantia is a doctoral student in digital jewellery and sense of Northumbria University & self at Northumbria Univerisity. Her research investigates the University of Dundee. First published in February 2018, UK. potential of digital objects to suggest poetic and emotionally Copyright © Journal of Jewellery Research and the author. rich interactions for people. Her study is concerned with All rights reserved. Apart from fair understanding and supporting the micro-transitions of identity dealing for the purposes of study, research, criticism or review, as in the context of living in/between two countries. She has permitted under the applicable previous training in silversmithing and holds an MSc degree copyright legislation, no part of this work may be reproduced by any in IT Product Design and a full degree in architecture. process without written permission from the publisher or author. For permissions and other inquiries, please contact the editors:
Journal of Jewellery Research - Volume 01 - February 2018 33